GB5

From looking at the rankings there is so much variation after the first two picks that I suppose I wouldn't really call anyone ranked in the top 20 off the board. Arguably the best player in the 2011 draft, Scheifele was ranked 16 from NA skaters going in and taken at number 7 as a skinny kid who is now playing about 30 pounds heavier than he was drafted which I am pointing out as a great example of not bowing to popular opinion when it comes to making great draft picks. Even our own Bo Horvat was ranked at 15 among NA players and 21 by THN in 2013, good talent analysis and maybe a bit of luck is essential.

I think you have uncovered a larger problem with this team. For any player to play meaner, they need to be able to back it up. There are far too few players on this team who can back anything up and drop the gloves when they get challenged or the going gets tough. Without a doubt, Hutton would be minced meat if he tried to play tough against a big forward like Lucic or the like. You need a better balance of puck movers and toughness.

Exactly, they're ineptitude is just as much to blame as the Oilers are for this screwed up system.

We had a Medicine Hat thing going with this team maybe now a Portland Winterhawk thing? Fine with me, Cody Glass is a very highly skilled player who as a centre would compliment the Canucks very well I think. Him and Mittelstadt are very skilled guys that could put up a lot of points in the NHL.

Were they just waiting for the first round to officially end before confirming it or was this another ploy to slip Toronto into something that doesn't concern them?

No doubt Granlund is protected. He was one of if not the most exciting Canuck this year, seemed like every time he was on the ice something could happen. I sure don't want to see Gaunce go either it seems inevitable that Vegas will end up choosing between Gaunce and Sbisa and end up taking Gaunce. I say this because of the quality of defensemen that other teams have to expose is very high so Vegas will be looking for forward depth from Vancouver. Not to mention, Gaunce just seems like a Gallant type of player.

I was thinking more of a Datsyuk. He is/was a centre and is a similar size and one of the best scoring two way centreman ever.

Hmm..... I call premature speculation.

Nope not for me. I was po'ed and confused at the time but Benning said he thought he got a pretty good player and after a year I think he was right. Granlund has a really high skill level unlike few other forwards on this team.

For sure, he's now tied for the team league in points in February.

Nice picture of a fine young man. Too bad he has to sit beside Anaheim #17 though.

So clearly it is goals that you are using as the standard for the effectiveness of a player. Forechecking, winning puck battles, and all of the other non-sexy critical attributes don't count. These are fourth line players we are talking about. They are the guys that provide energy and their most important role is often thought of as keeping the puck as far away from their own goal as possible on every shift. If they can grind a shift out along the boards then they have done their job. Gaunce is very good at this and he has a good reputation for doing exactly what the coaches tell him to do.

well said, completely agree.

I wonder if this still means to Willie that Boucher has to wait for Rodin to get a chance to play first.

Brock with a point but was a bit of an unfortunate -4 tonight. Looks like the team fell apart in the third and blew a 3-1 lead to lose 6-3

Yikes, that's a very bif estimation on a very little body of work. I didn't know his name was Brendan McCrosby Thing is, there is more to being part of a team than just putting up big numbers. Gaunce is a good player, just give it time, he is developing his games as is 75% of the other Canucks, he just needs to play.

Absolutely, as the old adage goes, Willie is obviously playing "not to lose" instead of "playing to win".

Hard work has made for many lengthy careers in the NHL.

Gaunce is awesome. He says the right things, doesn't whine and works very hard to do the right things. Problem is like I've been saying is that Willie seems to think that the team is better with two minor leaguers on the fourth line getting 6 minutes a game as opposed to helping to develop a player that has the potential to have an important role in the future with this team.

It is great. I just hope they are patient and keep him there all year unless a coaching change is made and Green is brought up and brings Virt with him.

100% agree, I've always liked Gaunce and watch him closely, he is a very good player but coach Willie has a complete lack of vision for the fourth line. Gaunce is extremely tough in the corners, if he has some others players on his line that had any semblance of a hockey iq, things would be a lot better. I don't like seeing the AHL plugs on the 4th line. Chaput and Megna have been OK but the problem is that they are as good as they will ever get. Gaunce has a lot of upside so let him play. Once again, coach Willie has gone into damage control to try to save his job by either over playing some players or not playing others enough or at all.

I wonder if they are saying this just to save face from being scratched to give Gunny a few games to re-find his game. Although it is difficult to see them playing Biega over Gunny.

Very true, the best thing for Jake is to be far away from this team right now and just play.

Watching this makes me wish even more that Virt can learn how to develop into a consistent professional. He looks like he has the makings of a dominant NHL'er, in this play he reminds me of Owen Nolan.

I hope not. As others have said, Gaunce is progressing very well. Eventually he will certainly move up in the lineup, even still, his work to date has been very good.